Facial fat transfer is a highly effective type of procedure that can restore volume and voluptuousness to a patient’s face. Its versatility has lent it a reputation that can make it a synergistic quality in conjunction with other procedures, or as an effective procedure all on its own. But where does facial fat transfer fat come from?
However, to successfully execute a facial fat transfer, you need to harvest excess fat from another part of the body. This can occur in several different places on the physique.
Where Does Facial Fat Transfer Fat Come From?
If you’re considering receiving a facial fat transfer, then take a look at this guide that describes where you can find the excess fat, and where your facial fat transfer specialist might harvest it.
What Occurs During a Facial Fat Transfer?
Fat transfers exist as an alternative to dermal fillers and neurotoxin, performing many of the purposes of the above procedures, but offering patients a more natural and softer-looking set of results.
Even in a young face, fat is responsible for keeping the skin smooth and for allowing one to retain youthful features. As one ages, the presence of this healthy type of fat naturally begins to diminish over time. A fat transfer can reverse this trend by harvesting excess fat from a section of the body where it is plentiful and injecting it in the areas of the face where it might be lacking.
Fat transfers can be effective for restoring one’s appearance with regards to many different common issues, including sunken under-eyes and drooping cheeks. To execute a fat transfer, the physician harvests fat with a gentle liposuction technique, and then reconnects to an area of the face where this volume is lacking.
Where Does the Fat Come from In a Facial Fat Transfer?
There are many different areas where a doctor can harvest suitable fat from. Your physician will determine which of these areas is the most suitable for your particular situation. In addition, they will determine if you have enough fat to healthily perform the procedure. Some of the most common areas to harvest fat from include the following areas:
- Buttocks
- Thighs
- Lower back
- Abdomen
As your procedure begins, you’ll be administered a local anesthetic to keep you free of pain while the rest of the procedure is carried out. Next, your physician will make a small incision in the donor area of your body, inserting a cannula that’s connected to a syringe in order to draw the fat out. Once enough donor fat is gathered, it is spun on a centrifuge to separate the best fat cells for the procedure.
The donor fat cells are transferred either via a cannula or syringe to the area to which you’re seeking to add more volume. This is generally performed through a series of insertions to best drop the fat in a natural-looking way. Once the procedure is executed in a satisfactory manner, your physician will proffer a guide to navigating your recovery period.
Once your doctor removes these fat cells from this area of your body, they will unfortunately not regenerate. Following this, your physician will recommend that you attempt to maintain as stable a body weight as possible going into your procedure. In addition, you may be able to receive a fat transfer in other parts of the body besides your face, should you desire to do so.
What Do the Results Look Like?
Synthetic fillers are effective at restoring lost volume to the face, but unfortunately can reap results that also look synthetic. Fat transfer involves a much more natural process where the cells that already exist in your body adapt to a new area of your body. This can create very dramatic results that can make a patient appear much younger, yet still natural and unartificial.
Fat transfers make a great option for those who are looking to restore some of their lost youthfulness but aren’t quite ready or qualified to go in for a total facelift yet. Some of the other positive impacts that a fat transfer can have include:
- Reduce the appearance of crow’s feet around the eyes
- Fill in laugh and smile lines around the face
- Reduce the presence of scars
- Fill out thin lips
- Restore sunken cheeks and under eyes
- Minimize wrinkles on the forehead
In general, you can expect your procedure to take around five hours. This requires a bit more time in the surgery room than a typical facial procedure. However, it’s important to note that a fat transfer will not require repeat visits to the surgeon to upkeep your initial results.
Other Uses for Fat Transfer
In addition to adding volume to the face and lips, there are other uses for fat transfer that can generally enhance the aesthetic appearance of a patient. Some of the following procedures are considered ones that can effectively incorporate fat transfer into their execution:
- Breast augmentation or reconstruction
- Increasing the general size of one’s breasts
- Hand restoration or rejuvenation
- Brazilian butt lift
Each of these procedures is a complex operation in its own right, meaning that a patient will likely have to do a separate set of consultations with their physician in order to determine whether or not it’s safe or wise for them to proceed with any of the above procedures in conjunction with a facial fat transfer. Chances are, your physician will recommend that you place a recuperation period in between whatever operations you choose to undertake.
Should I Receive a Fat Transfer or Dermal Fillers?
Much of the answer to this question depends somewhat on the aesthetic preferences of the patient. A physician’s decision about the use of fat transfers or dermal fillers is mostly influenced by the specifics of the procedure and the areas of the body that will be altered. This implies that, based on the patient’s particular needs and the intended aesthetic result of their procedure, a surgeon will probably provide a special and highly personalized consultation.
Surgeons and the patients they serve have benefited much from modern technology, and the relatively new subject of fat transfer surgery still has a lot of territory to cover in terms of novel cosmetic approaches.
Every patient and condition is different, and based on the particular requirements of each given situation, different chemicals will need to be used in different ways. Though sound, plastic surgery science is always striving to reach new heights of proficiency and understanding. These characteristics are shared by the rest of the medical community.
Through the alignment of our method with both established and more cutting-edge approaches, we are able to combine the finest features of both and arrive at a more comprehensive set of tools for advancing the trade.
Setting Up a Consultation
When you come in for a consultation, your physician will review the details of your procedure, in addition to your overall aesthetic goals. Many find themselves excited by the prospect of restoring lost volume to their face, while reducing fat in an area of the body where they might be struggling to do just that.
You will also go over your general state of health and any special precautions you might have to take in order to have a safe procedure. Facial fat transfer is not considered an overly complicated procedure, but some of the other forms of fat transfer can be very stressful on the body.
You should consider this the best time period that you have to adequately prepare yourself for your upcoming procedure. In general, it can be considered the best point to learn as much as you can about the correct steps to take before and after your transfer.
The Recovery Period
Like most types of surgical procedures, there is a recovery period that is associated with facial fat transfer. In order to reap the best results and maintain them down the line, you should take special care to follow any instructions you receive from your physician to the letter.
In the case of a fat transfer, the recovery period is thankfully somewhat modest. Most patients are able to return to their daily activities within a couple of days, and the same group of people should be fully recovered from their procedure within six weeks.
While in your recovery period, you should make attempts to minimize the impact of your lifestyle on affecting your results. Some of the common steps that are taken include the following precautions:
- Quit smoking while you recover
- Reduce your alcohol consumption
- Possibly limit your intake of various prescription drugs
- Reduce the level of strenuous activity that you engage in
On top of the above precautions, your physician will likely advise you some adjustments that are to be made that are more specific to your personal health situation. You’ll discuss these elements prior to the actual procedure being done.
The Best Fat Transfer Specialist in LA
Dr. Taban and his award-winning staff have the expertise and experience to deliver a top-notch facial fat transfer for discerning clientele as a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon. If you’re interested in receiving this type of treatment from a consummate professional, contact Dr. Taban to set up an appointment.